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OTTAWA—Attack ads launched against newly chosen Liberal leader Justin Trudeau by the Conservatives are widely seen as unfair by would-be voters, a new poll says.

In an EKOS Research Associates survey, 70 per cent found the ads “unfair” while 74 per cent said the ads were “unhelpful.”

Asked to describe the ads, 84 per cent said they were “negative.”

Approximately 1,828 English-speaking Canadians were interviewed for the poll from April 17 to 19.

“The ads have backfired on the Conservatives, at least in the short term,” said EKOS President Frank Graves. “Many, many people think this was just the wrong thing to do at this point.”

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English-language ads questioning whether Trudeau has the experience or judgment to be prime minister began appearing on television and the Internet shortly after Trudeau was chosen Liberal leader on Sunday.

Liberals complained the ads took some of Trudeau’s comments out of context and depicted him stripping off his shirt on a stage without mentioning it was part of a charity fundraising event. But the Conservatives have defended the ads, noting they have been viewed by very large numbers of Canadians.

Asked about the impact of the Conservative campaign, 71 per cent of respondents in the poll said viewing an anti-Trudeau ad had not changed their impression of Trudeau. Of those who said the ads had changed their impression, more than half said they felt more positive about the Liberal leader.

When asked for a single word describing the ads, many said they were “disgusting,” “vicious” or “stupid.” Others said they were “amusing” or “typical.”

The poll found that, among those who voted Liberal in the 2011 election, 91 per cent said the anti-Trudeau ad campaign is unfair. Of those who voted for the Green party, 82 per cent said likewise. Among NDP voters, 79 per cent said the ads are unfair. Of those who voted Conservative in 2011, 36 per cent said the ads are unfair.

While the ethics of attack ads outside of election periods have been widely debated, analysts generally agree that Conservative ad campaigns questioning the abilities of former Liberal leaders Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff were effective with the public prior to the 2008 and 2011 elections.

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